Celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie just made a return to fiction with her new novel, Dream Count, marking her first full-length work in over a decade since Americanah, released in 2013, reported The Guardian, on Tuesday, March 4. 

Over the years, Adichie has moved beyond the literary world to become a global cultural icon. From collaborating with Beyoncé to advertising makeup, she has solidified her influence far beyond the readers of her breakout novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), which won the Orange Prize and remains one of the defining books on the Nigeria-Biafra war.  

Now regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 21st century, Adichie has also become a folk hero for Nigerian women, known for her portrayal of gender, identity, and migration.  

Like Americanah, and her short story collection The Thing Around Your Neck, Dream Count explores themes of cultural displacement oscillating between Nigeria and the United States (US). However, this novel shifts focus from the immigrant experience to a deeply personal narrative centred on the friendship of three Nigerian women navigating the complexities of middle-aged life, marriage, and motherhood.  

Adichie’s signature storytelling style, contemporary yet deeply rooted in its 'Africanness' is compelling as always. While her early novels cemented her place in literary circles, it was her 2013 collaboration with Beyoncé that established her as a 'literary rockstar', broadening her reach to audiences far beyond the literary sphere.  

With Dream Count, Adichie reaffirms her status as a literary force, returning to the world of fiction with the depth that has long defined her work.